VILLAGE OF NORTH AURORA
DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2015
MINUTES
CALL TO ORDER
Trustee Guethle called the meeting to order.
ROLL CALL
Committee Members in attendance: Trustee Mark Guethle Trustee Mark Gaffino;
Staff in attendance: Steve Bosco, Village Administrator; Mike Toth, Community and Economic Development Director; Cindy Torraco, Exec. Assistant
Absent: Trustee Laura Curtis
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Motion made by Trustee Guethle and seconded by Trustee Gaffino to approve the June 17, 2015 Development Committee Minutes. All in Favor – Motion Approved
PUBLIC COMMENTS
None
NEW BUSINESS
Discussion on T.I.F. Façade Grant for 8 Marvo Street
Toth provided an overview of the T.I.F. grant application for improvements that the owners of property at 8 Marvo would like to make to their building. The work includes parking lot improvements including striping, and landscaping improvements. Further they will be doing concrete work on the north side of the building. The Village previously disbursed funds for improvements done to the building in July. Trustees Gaffino and Guethle were in favor of approving this T.I.F. grant.
Discussion on T.I.F. Façade Grant for 12 John Street (Share and Care Learning Center)
Toth noted a T.I.F. Façade Grant application had been submitted by the owner of Share and Care at 12 John Street, looking to make improvements to the outside of the building. Toth outlined some of the itemized improvements in his staff report to the Committee. Improvements to include a wrap façade mural and paint around the mural. They are also looking to replace windows on the front of the building, and add additional windows to the rear of the building. Toth noted Suzanne Starble owns the building. Trustees Guethle and Gaffino were in favor of approving this T.I.F. grant.
Discussion on Land Use Classification in the Business Districts
Toth noted staff revisited the land classifications in the Business Districts noting reviewing the classifications is an action plan in the Comprehensive Plan. The intent being to streamline specific uses in the business districts.
Toth noted he would go through the list with the committee to determine if there were any questions about any specific classifications. Bosco noted that the B-3 district is primarily the central business district along Route 31 and is the largest district, with B-2 being a general district primarily in the Town Center and further, although there is a B-1 classification, there is nothing currently in this district. B-1 will be held as a place holder in the code.
Toth noted that consolidating retail use would not be detrimental to any neighborhood. Trustee Gaffino asked about churches, noting they are typically in neighborhoods and not commercial use areas. Further he asked if they would have to come in as a special use. Trustee Guethle asked if the village had ever received any inquiries about a church locating in a business district. Toth noted that he had received interest in a church relocating in the Dollar General spot of the strip mall on Butterfield Road. Trustee Gaffino noted a church would not be a bad thing to have in that location. Toth noted the use isn’t the issue, but rather parking might be, as a church would generate more traffic and parking needs. Further a church would have to come in as a special use. Bosco noted that churches don’t generate taxes or property tax like a retail business would. Toth noted that the intent is the help fill vacancies, noting North Aurora has a 30% vacancy rate.
Toth noted that the classification for lodge or club is allowed as a special use in the B1 and B3 and should also be included in B2.
Toth noted that any general retail use such as a book store, candy store, etc. would be consolidated into “retail use” to make the list more user friendly.
Toth noted that a coin store or cash for gold type store would be considered retail and is different type of use from a currency exchange, which would require a special use.
Further any type of food store or retail business offering food, baked goods, deli etc. would be consolidated under one Food Store classification. Bosco noted that liquor and tobacco would remain separate uses.
Toth noted any office, business or professional use would be under one classification and would include any medical or dental office.
Trustee Guethle asked about a business with a drive-in facility. Toth noted a business such as a drug store would be a permitted use, however, if they included a drive through, then it would have to be a special use, as drive-ins require adequate space for cars and stacking.
Toth also noted a few uses were eliminated, such as furriers and taxidermy, as these uses are not pertinent or are outdated.
Trustee Guethle asked about gun shops and classes that they might offer. Toth noted a gun shop itself would be a typical retail situation, any small training done at the facility would be considered an ancillary use. A separate special use would be required for a gun range.
Toth noted that currently a hotel is a permitted use in the B2 district and staff is looking to extend that to the B3 district, as a goal of the strategic plan. Toth noted he met with Teska to review the hotel/motel use and noted the difference would be hotels have an inside use vs. a motel which would have more of an outside use. Noting a motel could generate more noise. Currently laundromats are listed as a permitted use, and this should be reclassified as a special use.
Lawn mower sales and service would be considered retail, however, because lawn mowers have an outside component to their use, any business such as these, including golf cart sales, would require a special use.
Toth noted that generally a retail use with an indoor use is permitted, and a retail use with an outdoor use would require a special use. The exception is with outdoor dining which is a permitted use but is heavily regulated.
Toth noted that any use that comes in to the village has to be allowed somewhere, and the I-2 district is generally where a use could be located as a special use, if it doesn’t fit into any other classification.
Bosco discussed adult use with respect to the Lover’s Lane which is permitted retail use, and how it is determined when a use crosses over to adult use. Toth noted adult oriented businesses would be listed as a special use in the industrial district, not in commercial business district. Trustee Gaffino noted Lover’s Lane was granted their use based on square footage of stock. Resident Bill Slaker mentioned it may have something to do with percentage of sales. Toth noted they would have to have a significant portion of sales be adult oriented to be considered adult use. Bosco noted he was asking the committee, if they adult oriented items was just a small component of the business, would they want this to be a special use. Toth noted a good way to gauge is if their sales are more than 25% of adult products, it would be considered adult use.
Bosco noted a Community Center is currently only allowed in B-1, as are government offices and these should be allowed in B-2 and B-3 as well.
Toth noted these amendments covered a lot and asked for any further questions. Trustee Guethle noted the update looks good. Trustee Gaffino agreed, noting the amendments would make the classifications more user friendly.
OTHER INFORMATION
Trustee Guethle asked about the status of the abandoned Marathon gas station. Toth noted this will be on the agenda for discussion at the next Development Committee meeting. Toth noted the owners received a “no further remediation” letter from the EPA. Toth has spoken to the broker about the limited uses allowed for this site.
Bosco mentioned staff is working on a marketing action plan and said staff is looking to create a 3-4 page report to include incentive options, noting it may take a few months internally to prepare before it will be brought before the board for discussion.
Bosco commented on the option of looking at companies to provide a scope of services to bring before the Committee of the Whole with regard to a community center. Noting before a feasibility study would be done, it would be beneficial to interview companies to get a feel for their services.
Toth stated his department has been very busy lately, working with the Oak and Orchard developers looking to develop a 300 unit rental development; working with Parker on his Hardware Restaurant and hop farm and the well that is on the property; talking with Shodeen who is interested in developing a multi-family rental complex. There is a lot of interest in multi-family and staff needs to discuss the balance between land use and density. Bosco noted all these developers are looking for incentives and an action plan will help determine when it would be appropriate to offer incentives. Toth noted it can get cumbersome when developers come in and have to also deal with other fee structures for such organizations as Fox Metro and Kane County.
AUDIENCE COMMENTS
None
TRUSTEE COMMENTS
None
ADJOURN
Trustee Gaffino made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Trustee Guethle
All in Favor – Motion Approved
Meeting was adjourned at 9:40 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Cindy Torraco
Executive Assistant
